Returning to feel Nigeria’s energy is motivating

Twenty-six years after leaving fatherland Nigeria for the United States of America (USA) the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight title champion Kamaru Usman is returning home to a hero’s welcome after conquering the world amassing an impressive 19-1-0 record from 2015 when he became a mixed martial art warrior.

Currently unbeaten in 18 fights, including 14 straight victories with nine Kos and nine decisions, the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ in this chat with AKEEM LAWAL, shares his experiences so far in the sport and his plans to develop UFC in Nigeria. Excerpts:

Twenty-six years after leaving fatherland Nigeria for the United States of America (USA) the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight title champion Kamaru Usman is returning home to a hero’s welcome after conquering the world amassing an impressive  19-1-0 record from 2015 when he became a mixed martial art warrior.

Currently unbeaten in 18 fights, including 14 straight victories with nine Kos and nine decisions, the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ in this chat with AKEEM LAWAL, shares his experiences so far in the sport and his plans to develop UFC in Nigeria.

Excerpts:

You were born in Auchi, growing up why do you choose wrestling ahead of football or athletics?

I don’t know. When we got to America, my elder brother, Dr. Usman chose football. I too started running but it got to a stage I got tired and told myself I had to find something else. So, in America, there are different sports, there are different opportunities for you to go into something else to excel. So I fell into wrestling and it eventually took me to MMA. And that is what we want to be able to do here. Have those different opportunities for the youths to be able to excel.

Your dad was in the Military, does that have any influence in you choosing a physical sport like wrestling?

No, I don’t think so. I think it’s just something that’s in you and you fall into it. With the right opportunity, you are able to fall into place. I don’t necessarily think it was him being in the military but the discipline definitely helps, of course.

How was your transition from wrestling to UFC?

Initially, it was difficult but I was more mental. Because even in wrestling it’s controlled to where there is still wide range of rules, things that you cannot do. So, switching over to a sport like UFC, where it seemed like everything is legal, though that is not the case. There are still rules as well. It was frightening a little bit, but once I got in, I started putting my foot in then it got better.

What was the impression of your parents following your transition from wrestling to UFC?

They were afraid. But it’s something that I chose to do as a man. And when I chose to do something, I’m going to give it my all. I saw an opportunity and I felt that this is something that I could do. So I went out there and acquired much knowledge and skills possible to put myself in the best position. And I finally got here.

In your early stages, you earned your first nickname “Marty” when your former coach couldn’t pronounce your name Kamarudeen. How did you take that?

It’s normal. In everything that you are involved in, they are always going to find a nickname for you and that is how it was in wrestling. The name was difficult for them. They said it look like this name fits you and they place that name on you. As we know growing up, even here in Nigeria, my younger brother at a time we called him Udoma even when he was young. So it was just the origin of nicknames but at the end of the day, the nickname doesn’t stay with you if you don’t do something impressive with it.

At some point you were thinking of competing for United States at the Olympic Games in 2012, how true was that and what went wrong?

The goal after college wrestling was “what is the next level that I can wrestle.” The highest level is winning the Olympics games. So that was the plan. But while training there, you sustain different injuries, you go through different situations in life and that started to hurt my motivation, started to kill my spirit for that. So I needed to transition into something where I still had that fighting spirit, that burning desire to excel and I ended up finding MMA.

It was reported that while in college, a lot of universities were said to be interested in you in the US. At a point you left a school because they couldn’t take you to a particular competition. How true was that?

After High School, you go to college and I was wrestling in the college in this small school in Iowa, William Penn University. And during my first season we had a terrible snowstorm and the coach chose to take the Upper Class guy as opposed to me even though I was better than that guy. Actually it was a good decision because I think it was something that snow-balled me moving into another school and excelling. It worked out better.

How do you feel coming back home for the first time after over 20 years and do you think we have what it takes to produce more Kamaru Usman, Israel Adesanya and co as far as UFC is concerned?

Yes I feel amazing being home. You can be in several places all across the world but somehow they still find a way to make you feel like an outsider. So, coming back to be with my people, people that look like me, talk like me, walk like me and have that same energy, is something that is extremely special and I always wanted to feel. Absolutely, it’s one thing that Nigerians do very well. That is fight for everything that we have and everything that we want. With that spirit, I think if the right platform is in place, we can definitely have more Israel, more Sadiq Yusuff, more champions like me.

What goes through your mind each time you want to fight?

It’s different. Of course you have the fear because you are about to be in a fight. That fear is there, but being able to overcome that to me, is the definition of courage. Each and every time you feel that, doesn’t matter if it is your first fight, your last fight or your championship fight, the fear is always going to be there. The anxiousness, the anxiety, all of that are going to be there, but overcoming them truly makes a champion.

At what point did you decide that you needed to come home?

Each and every time we try to plan the trip, something comes up. Whether my parents were too busy or our plans are busy, something comes up and always interrupts the plans to come home. So after becoming the champion in 2019- that was the first thing I wanted to do, to come home. But then something came up again and I had to prepare for those fights.

Then last year we planned the trip again and I said if I must come home unprecedentedly and I couldn’t come home. But then with everything that happened in the country, it was very difficult because once I posted that I wanted to come home, getting the feedback from fellow Nigerians saying don’t come yet, people are upset, people are not happy with what is going on. I said no, there is no better time than now to go and really be around my Nigerian people. Of course it was heartbreaking for me to get all that feedback. But coming home and actually meeting my people, being around them is really great. Because Nigerians, we have a different energy. So being around that energy is something special to me.

Now that you are home, what are the plans, how long are you staying and what are the things you want to do?

One of the biggest things coming home is having those conversations with powers that may be in order for you to really achieve and accomplish anything. Of course we have a plan of what we wanted to do. But it’s not just about growing in sport, it’s about the sport because that my link is my tool right now to be able to touch, inspire and change. So, I and my team are going to try to use that vehicle. Like I said, we’ve had the difficulty conversations with the powers that may be and with them giving us their blessings and give us that foundation that we need, then we can start to really actively do that job. Now it’s up to my team to put together the plan, the place and bring it to them and say this is what we want to do and need you to support it in order to help change the way we are.

Can you be specific on the plans that your team is actually putting together?

Obviously, for me, one of the things that actually touch my heart is years ago, I used to get tweets that would say “Oh if he was in Nigeria, would he have gone that far?” Hearing that definitely hurts me because that shouldn’t be the case, whether I’m there or here should not matter. You should still be able to have that opportunity to make it as high as you want to make it. So that is something that have stayed with and by me being in the position that I am. I want to be able to come back and make sure we have those opportunities. A lot of people say this all the time “You can achieve it you can put your money into it. But how can I achieve it if there is no opportunity. I can put my mind to anything but if there is no opportunity, you cannot achieve it. That is what we want to do, to create those opportunities, whether academy, maybe bringing UFC here, all these different things. That is one.

Again, my team hopeful now that we’ve had the green light through the powers that be, everything should be fast tracked.

How is it like watching Israel Adesanya win another fight while you are here in Nigeria?

Truth is, it was great for me. To be able to watch my fellow Nigerian in Nigeria as many watched us. It was incredible, it was great. He went out there and was able to be victorious once again and successful. That is very good for us, it is tremendous.

What is your relationship with Israel Adesanya?

It’s a cordial relationship. It’s two Africans with two belts, not one African with two belts. I have a great relationship with him. He is different in ways he goes about this things, he does his things in different style, not everybody wants just one food, not everybody wants to eat ‘Jollof Rice’, sometimes you need the rice and stew. So Israel is a different flavour and I love it. That diversity, we are able to touch all.

You have one of the longest winning streaks in the UFC right now, which one will you pick as your most important fight?

Most important fight! I would have to say winning the belt. That was most important because you can work all your life for everything but if you never really get to the pinnacle of that sport, then we as human we tend to just say ‘I can do that too’, but when you actually get to the pinnacle of the sport and become a champion, it’s a different tool, different power, energy that you can use.

Why the nickname “The Nigerian Nightmare”?

I chose the name “The Nigerian Nightmare” because growing up in sport I’ve heard the name a couple of times but it is a name that had been used by the best Nigerians that have excelled in their field of choice. So it is a name that I was very proud to hear when I was a boy and I said that if I have the opportunity that would be the name I would chose and it’s good for me especially in my sport.

SHORT AND SHARP WITH USMAN

MOTIVATION

What motivates me when I fight? The biggest I would say is just my appetite for competitions. That is one of the things that motivate me. If I compete, I want to win. And now having my family at my back, to be able to support them with this and could have this is something that push me forward.

MOVING UP TO MIDLEWEIGHT 

No, because the next weight class is middleweight and Isreal Adesanya holds that belt. So I have said it before, two Nigerians with belts is better that one Nigerian with two belts.

UFC AND NO 1

That is only for UFC because they have their own set of Rankings. Then ESPN which run the world have their separate ranking and I am No.1. As for UFC, I’m going to face what I’ve been doing and continue to do that because I want to give them no choice to even think about it and make me No.1.

TOUGHEST FIGHT

I’ll say the first defense. That is what a lot of people considered my toughest because that is the one I took most punches. That was the decision that I made. If I wanted to be systematic or stylistic, I could have won that fight easier. But I wanted to see blood in that fight. So I didn’t care what would happen.